We’re dedicated to helping people understand all the potential factors that can influence ear health and hearing loss. There are some factors you’re probably familiar with, such as aging, noise exposure and traumatic brain injuries, but others may surprise you. One such surprise is water.
How Moisture Affects Hearing
Your ear canals are critical to your ability to hear. They are the pathway between the outer ear and the middle ear, and they ultimately usher sound waves to the inner ear. Anything that blocks or damages the ear canal will affect how sound waves travel through it and whether those sound waves are ultimately received by the inner ear.
Water Stuck in Your Ear
If you’ve ever experienced a feeling of fullness in your ear and/or muffled hearing after a swim, you probably had water trapped in your ear. When water gets trapped behind the eardrum, it blocks the sound waves passing through, either stopping them entirely or noticeably distorting them. This can definitely affect how well you hear.
You can address this by lying on your side for a few minutes and gently tugging your earlobe. This maneuvering may open the ear canal enough for the water to drain out. You might also try yawning or chewing gum, as moving your jaw can also manipulate the shape of the ear canal. Do not use a cotton swab.
Ear Infections
Water trapped in the ear can eventually lead to an ear infection. Bacteria and fungi grow in warm, dark, moist places; stagnant water inside the ear canal creates the perfect conditions for them to grow. The resulting infection causes inflammation, irritation and fluid buildup.
There are two types of ear infection that may come from trapped water: a middle ear infection (otitis media) and an outer ear infection (otitis externa, also called “swimmer’s ear”). As the names suggest, the difference is where the water is trapped and where the infection develops.
Hearing loss is rather common during an ear infection. Sound can’t reach the inner ear through the inflamed and blocked ear canals, and the infection may cause irreparable damage to the tissues and structures within the ear.
Earwax Blockages
Earwax is a substance our ears produce to keep the ear canals clean and dry. The sticky substance traps dirt and germs and repels water. However, an excess of water in the ear canal can stimulate the production of earwax and soften it, making it easier for it to ball up and compact, like a well-packed snowball. This snowball can become quite solid, and block sounds from travelling through the ear canal at all. As a result, you may experience an earache, a feeling of fullness in the ear, muffled hearing or tinnitus.
If you’re experiencing compacted earwax, use over-the-counter earwax softening drops and follow the instructions on the packaging. Once again, do not use cotton swabs. If softening drops don’t work, schedule a professional earwax cleaning.
Eustachian Tube Dysfunction
Ever experienced your ears popping when driving up a hill or taking off in an airplane? That’s the Eustachian tubes. The Eustachian (you-stay-SHUN) tubes connect the middle ear to the back of the throat. They drain fluid from the middle ear and equalize pressure between your ears and the outside world. Your ears are very sensitive to changes in pressure.
As mentioned above, water trapped in your ears can eventually lead to an ear infection and inflammation. This swelling may crowd the Eustachian tubes and block them, preventing them from carrying out their functions. This will make your ears feel clogged and probably make them pop constantly, as well as cause muffled hearing.
When to See an Audiologist
You should always check with an audiologist if you notice a change in your hearing. If you’ve been around water recently and feel like your ears are clogged or your hearing is reduced, contact The House Institute to make an appointment for an ear examination.